Offline Resources
(links to amazon.jp)
Textbooks
Genki – Probably the most balanced beginner textbook. While designed for classrooms, it is friendlier to self-study than most other options. An excellent place to start your learning. Volume 1 covers most of the material on the JLPT N5 exam, while Volume 2 will take you to N4.
Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese – recommended as a followup to Genki or other beginner textbooks, works very well for self-study. This will cover the material on the N3 exam, as well as some topics from N2. It will also teach you a number of skills for reading comprehension and prepare you for moving into more native materials like magazines, newspapers, and novels. It is more demanding than Genki, and can be a jarring transition, but don’t give up!
Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese – recommended as a followup to Genki or other beginner textbooks, works very well for self-study. This will cover the material on the N3 exam, as well as some topics from N2. It will also teach you a number of skills for reading comprehension and prepare you for moving into more native materials like magazines, newspapers, and novels. It is more demanding than Genki, and can be a jarring transition, but don’t give up!
Kanji
Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Course – One of the most popular kanji-study methods aside from WaniKani. This book presents the 2136 joyo kanji along with common words that use them in order to help you learn their readings in the context of vocabulary. Pair it with Anki or Memrize and you’ve got a stew goin’.
Remembering the Kanji by James Heisig – A rather controversial book which proposes a methodology for learning the joyo kanji using mnemonics and English keywords. This will not teach you how to read, or teach you any vocabulary, unless you continue with the second and third books in the series. What it will do is help you break down kanji visually and remember how to write them. This book and its method have been around for over thirty years, and while some would call them outdated they still have many supporters. If you use this method, realize that you will still have a lot of studying to do even after you finish the book.
White Rabbit Kanji Cards – If you want physical flash cards to study kanji, these are the best pre-made ones you can buy. They show a large variety of information, including a selection of common words for each kanji, which makes them useful for drilling in a number of ways using both sides of the cards. Note: Currently sold out in Japan, link is to amazon.com
Remembering the Kanji by James Heisig – A rather controversial book which proposes a methodology for learning the joyo kanji using mnemonics and English keywords. This will not teach you how to read, or teach you any vocabulary, unless you continue with the second and third books in the series. What it will do is help you break down kanji visually and remember how to write them. This book and its method have been around for over thirty years, and while some would call them outdated they still have many supporters. If you use this method, realize that you will still have a lot of studying to do even after you finish the book.
White Rabbit Kanji Cards – If you want physical flash cards to study kanji, these are the best pre-made ones you can buy. They show a large variety of information, including a selection of common words for each kanji, which makes them useful for drilling in a number of ways using both sides of the cards. Note: Currently sold out in Japan, link is to amazon.com
JLPT
日本語チャレンジ – Books to review for JLPT N4 (covering N5 contents as well). The reading and grammar book in particular is highly recommended. These are excellent if you’ve previously studied with a textbook or course and want a refresher before sitting the exam. Not recommended as a primary study source.
新完全マスター series – Books for the JLPT N3 onwards. There are several books for each level, including grammar, kanji, vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension, so you can pick and choose which ones you think you need. They’re all very well designed, and make for excellent primary or secondary learning materials. The grammar books are particularly recommended for any learners. The books for N2 and N1 are entirely in Japanese (though the explanations are very well-written and easy to understand for learners of that level), N3 books have English as well. At the N2 and N1 level there are very few textbook options, and these books can help to fill that particular gap.
日本語そうまとめ series – An alternative to the 新完全マスター books. Some people find them to be more approachable, particularly as the N2 and N1 books continue to have English explanations. Take a look at both and see which seems better for you. If you can’t decide, 新完全マスター is more highly recommended.
新完全マスター series – Books for the JLPT N3 onwards. There are several books for each level, including grammar, kanji, vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension, so you can pick and choose which ones you think you need. They’re all very well designed, and make for excellent primary or secondary learning materials. The grammar books are particularly recommended for any learners. The books for N2 and N1 are entirely in Japanese (though the explanations are very well-written and easy to understand for learners of that level), N3 books have English as well. At the N2 and N1 level there are very few textbook options, and these books can help to fill that particular gap.
日本語そうまとめ series – An alternative to the 新完全マスター books. Some people find them to be more approachable, particularly as the N2 and N1 books continue to have English explanations. Take a look at both and see which seems better for you. If you can’t decide, 新完全マスター is more highly recommended.
Miscellaneous
A Dictionary of (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced) Japanese Grammar – Excellent reference materials, which collectively cover nearly every grammar point in the language. Great for when you forget what something means or does but you don’t remember where or when you studied it. The Basic volume covers everything you’ll see in Genki or on the N4/N5 exam, the Intermediate covers to N2 or so, and the advanced goes beyond N1.
日本語文型辞典(にほんごぶんけいじてん – Similar to the above series, but in a single volume and entirely in Japanese. Highly recommended for advanced learners. This is filled with example sentences that clearly illustrate myriad uses for every grammar point you could ever think of. Designed as a reference for native speakers, so it includes extremely advanced and literary grammar points as well as everyday usage. Invaluable for making sure you’re using something the right way when writing or translating. An English version was recently released, but I can’t vouch for how it stacks up to the dictionaries listed above.
日本語文型辞典(にほんごぶんけいじてん – Similar to the above series, but in a single volume and entirely in Japanese. Highly recommended for advanced learners. This is filled with example sentences that clearly illustrate myriad uses for every grammar point you could ever think of. Designed as a reference for native speakers, so it includes extremely advanced and literary grammar points as well as everyday usage. Invaluable for making sure you’re using something the right way when writing or translating. An English version was recently released, but I can’t vouch for how it stacks up to the dictionaries listed above.